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Introduction

"... no one knows (where) in what land (or place) he will die". (Surah 31:34)

Still at another place the Qur'an says,

"Allah does not give any breather (or let up) to anyone for death when its fixed time comes." (Surah 63:11)

Therefore, one should not dread death but take it as crossing the bridge from this temporary life to the permanent, everlasting life. So, what should be done when one is confronted with it? This is the topic for our discussion.

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Rituals for Just before (Ehtezar) and Immediately After Death

Let us create a scenario in which you are sitting in front of a very sick friend or a relative whom you have come to visit. He/she is alone in the house. You are the only other person present. Suddenly you see him/her struggling for breath. He/she is taking his/her last breath! Dying! The color of his/her face is changing. He is said to be in Saqarat - the pain of death. Gradually, he/she stops breathing and is dead. What should you be doing as required by the Shariah while the person is in the course of dying and soon after death?

I am not aware of the legal requirements here in Canada. Therefore, I will leave it to you to find out.

a) Move the dying person to face Qibla in such a position that the soles of his/her feet face Qibla. In other words, if he/she were to sit upright his/her face would face Qibla.
b) Recite the Shahadah and make him/her repeat it. It should cover Tawhid /Nubuwwat/ Imamat and make him/her recite dua for Istighfar to ask forgiveness from Allah for his/her sins.
c) Recite Surah Yasin, Wassafat, Ayatul Qursi and other Ayats from the Qur'an to ease the moments of Saqarat.

d) Close the eyes and the mouth of the dead person.
e) Stretch his/her arms along his/her sides and keep his/her legs straight.
f) Cover his/her body with a sheet of cloth.
g) Inform his/her Wali or next of kin (if wali is not present) to come immediately.
h) Recite the Qur'an until the body is taken away for Ghusl Mayyit.

The Wali, the personal representative appointed by the deceased in his/her will or next of kin is personally responsible for all the after death rituals. His prior permission is necessary before any other person(s) can handle the body.

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After Death Rituals

It covers Ghusl/Kafan/Dafan i.e., washing, shrouding, and burying. Basically, these are Wajib (obligatory) acts for all of us but Kifai - Wajibe Kifai, which means if one or more persons undertake to do, others are absolved. Else it is wajib on everyone.

Therefore, it is essential for all of us to know the basics to be able to carry out the rituals in case of necessity.

Make a niyyat, "I am washing this dead body with SIDR WATER Wajib Qurbatan IlaLlah" and wash the body with SIDR WATER (water in which a small quantity (2 handful) of berry or lotus leaves have been added or its essence squeezed from a parchment paper).

Make a niyyat, "I am washing this dead body with clean water Wajib Qurbatan IlaLlah" and wash the body with clean (tap) water.

1. After all these Ghusls, the body should be gently dried with a clean towel.

2. While giving the Ghusl cover the body with a sheet of cloth or at least the private parts, changing the cloth after each Ghusl.

3. The method of giving Ghusl is Tartibi - in sequence, first head and neck, then the right side and finally the left, the way we ordinarily do our Ghusl.

4. While performing Ghusl recite surah/ayat of the Qur'an and dua.

5. The person giving Ghusl should belong the same gender but if not available, a mahram of the opposite gender can give Ghusl provided the body is completely covered with a sheet of cloth. Gender is irrelevant where giving Ghusl to the body of a child below the age of six (tamiz - the age of discretion).

6. The person giving Ghusl must know the basic masael relating to Ghusl Mayyit, but if Mu'min is not available, a Muslim will do.

7. To take or give any remuneration for giving Ghusl is haram. If any remuneration is paid or taken, Ghusl is Batil ( invalid.).

8. He/she must be tahir and with wudhu.

N.B. The case given here is that of an normal death. Deaths caused by accidents (bleeding and crushed bodies) have different methods of Ghusl. In some cases, it is impossible to wash the body in which case Tayammum is done. For details, please refer to the Risalah of your Marjaa. As a general rule, as long as the body is bleeding do not undertake to start ghusl. Pack the wound with cotton wool to stop bleeding and then start the Ghusl.

After first wajib act has been completed, the second wajib act is tahnit. This involves applying fresh fragrant camphor powder on seven part of the body which rest on the ground when prostrating doing Sajdah. These are the forehead, the palms of hands, the knees, and the toes. It is wajib / preferable to start tahnit starting with the forehead and ending with the palms. Some camphor may also be applied on the tip of nose and the chest. Keep the niyyat, "I am doing tahnit / hunut on the dead body Wajib Qurbatan IlaLlah" before commencing tahnit. The body should be laid on the Kafan pre arranged systematically to facilitate this process.

N.B. All these pieces of cloth are pre arranged systematically in their proper order in the stated sequence and kept ready on the floor over a mat so as to facilitate shrouding when the body is laid on them for Tahnit followed by shrouding Kafan.

It is Mustahab (recommended) that

a) The cloth for "Kafan" should be white.

b) the body should be kept in a position that the face is towards Qibla while shrouding.

c) two fresh twigs of a tree inscribed with Shahadah (Kalma) called Jareedatain wrapped in cotton wool should be kept under the armpits of both arms before wrapping the chadar.

d) recite surahs/ayats from the Qur'an and Istaghfar while shrouding the body.

P.S. The order in which the pieces of Kafan are systematically arranged and kept to facilitate wrapping is as follows:

The next wajib act is Salaatul Mayyit - (Namaz-e-Janaza) for a six-year-old child or even lower than six if the child during his/her life used to pray salaat and could distinguish good from bad (Mummaiz)

The body, in a coffin, is laid before the person(s) praying in congregation, head on the right side of the congregation and the face towards Qibla. Those praying, stand close to the coffin in a row(s) stretching along both sides from the middle of the coffin. Imam stands in front reciting loudly and Mu'mineen follow the recitation. It is recommended that they all be in (wudhu). For a female mayyit, Imam stands near the chest of the mayyit.

After the salaat, the body should be buried in a Muslim graveyard. It cannot be buried in non-Muslim graveyard unless a portion of that graveyard has been specifically reserved for Muslims. If that does not exist, the body should be sent to a Muslim country for burial. In case that is not possible, it may be buried in the graveyard of Ahlul Kitab - Christians /Jews/Zoroastrians. Conversely, a non-Muslim cannot be buried in a Muslim graveyard.

The coffin, having been brought in a graveyard, is placed a short distance away from the dug up grave and moved slowly to the grave by pausing for a few seconds, putting back on the ground and lifting up again, three times. At the fourth time, it is finally lowered into the grave with head first and is put to rest on its right side with the face towards Qibla as a wajib act. This position should be maintained all that time. A piece of cloth should be spread over the grave while lowering the body of a female so that the bystanders should not be able to see and in the absence of mahram, close relatives should lower the body in the grave.

After the body has been laid in the lahad the ties at both ends of the kafan should be unfastened and some earth should be put under the cheek of the mayyit. An earthen pillows should be done up under the head to rest it a little above the ground.

Talqin is then recited. The following is the full text of Talqin.

The person reciting the talqin should hold with his right hand the right shoulder of the dead body and should place his left hand tightly on its left shoulder and take his mouth near its ear and shaking its shoulders should say three times:

Isma' ifham ya .......{here the name of the dead person and his father should be called. For example, if the name of the dead person is Muhammad and his father's name 'Ali it should be said thrice:

If a person touches any part of a dead body including bone but not hair of a human being which has become overall cold and has yet not been given complete Ghusl al- mayyit either consciously or unconsciously, voluntarily or involuntarily while a sleep or awake, with any part of his body including nail, he should do Ghusl Mase Mayyit (Ghusl for touching a dead body).

Therefore, those who performed Ghusl al-Mayyit for the deseased person, having touched the body before three ghusls were completed shall have to do Ghusl Mase Mayyit. They cannot say their prayers or similar acts of worship till they have done the Ghusl.